Oxcross
Oxcross, also known as the City of Splendour, is the largest city of the Kingdom of Lyria and the trade capital of the Northern Kingdoms. Located at the crossroads of the Trade Way and Golden Road, Oxcross is a metropolis of trade and commerce, sprawling across the Dividing Plains on the west bank of the Foramere Basin. Once a city of significant wealth and opulence, recent events have rendered Oxcross a shadow of its former self. While still housing thriving trade, much of the city has become a sprawling slum, and power lies in the hands of the oligarchical guilds and the Big Four crime factions rather than the legal authorities. City Layout Oxcross is characterised by the intersection of two of Albion's largest and busiest trade routes, the Trade Way, linking the cities of the south and the Dwendalian Empire to the free city of Lionsgate, and the Golden Road, connecting the the coastal cities of Westcliffe and Port Ellander the cities of Aedirn and Kaedwen. At the point of intersection lies a massive market square, where a plethora of commercial activities take place. The city is divided into four quarters: The Stone Quarter, the Gold Quarter, the Marble Quarter and the Old Quarter, otherwise known as the Shithole. Oxcross Market Located in the very centre of the city, at the intersection of the Trade Way and the Golden Road, Oxcross market consists of an open cobbled square clogged with merchant stalls and lined by permanent shops carved into the walls. A large gilded statue of Avandra, the goddess of wealth and trade, stands in the centre of the square. The square is a focal point for public events and festivals, such as the Winter's Crest festival, as well as public executions. It was here that The Nutcrackers witnessed the Oxcross Incident, when a magical explosion of frost encased many spectators of a public burning in ice, opening up a portal to a plane of frost. The Nutcrackers pursued the assailant through the portal, doing battle with a terrifying White Dragon named Brimscythe. The Stone Quarter The hub of craftsmen, artisans and manufacturing, the Stone Quarter is the southernmost district of the city and often the first point of contact for those travelling north from the Dwendalian Empire along the Trade Way. The Quarter is bustling with craftsmen of every kind, most cloistered in specialised districts. Smoke and pollutants hang heavy in the air from its forges, often leaving many of its residents clad in soot. Locations Visited * The Sparkhammer: A large forge dealing in high-end, expertly-crafted armour for wealthy patrons. Run by Modog Gum, a charismatic half-orc referred to by his employees as Master Modog. Dranaar and Alfred visited the establishment on their first trip to Oxcross, with Dranaar repairing a shield scavenged from No Man's Land and making cosmetic changes to his armour. * The Gold Ribbon: A fletcher operated by Enthir, a half-elf. Colton enquired with Enthir after a magic bow, who showed him a family heirloom that he would part with at a discount should Colton deal with the Crownsplitters, who were demanding payment for 'protection'. Having done so, Enthir agreed to save the bow while Colton aquired the necessary funds. Colton later returned with funds acquired from Gellan Primewater, purchasing the Oathbow and aiding Enthir in escaping the hostile city. * The Rook and the Raven: A modest, two-storey tavern adjacent to the Trade Way operated by the halfling Nima Harkur. The Nutcrackers spent their first night in Oxcross here, renting four rooms, as well as meeting Myriadus O'Probbels and Tywin Bartooth. * The Castle: A large, ostentatious mansion juxtaposing the bleak and greyscale Stone Quarter, the Castle serves as the headquarters for the Crownsplitters and the home of Beauty and the Beast. The Nutcrackers ventured here to meet with Alfred's adoptive parents, seeking a finder's fee for a cache of Lion Trading Company goods uncovered in Cragmaw cave. The Gold Quarter Home to the rich and powerful of the city, the Gold Quarter is the most opulent district of Oxcross. With tiled, lamp-lined streets patrolled by the elite Citrine Garrison, it is undoubtedly the safest part of the city with the homeless and destitute contained in the Old Quarter. The quarter contains the city's most important and impressive sites, namely the Temple of the Traveller and the Church of the Divine Dragon, both monumental works of architecture within the Temple District, as well as the Cloudruler Citadel, seat of the King of Lyria, the Oxcross Council chambers and the Great Guildhall within the Cloudtop District. Locations Visited * The Citrine Garrison: The headquarters for the elite royal guard known as the Citrine Garrison, this fortified building was visited by The Nutcrackers in their attempt to convince the now Lord Commander Tormund O'Shea to cease his campaign against the elven citizens of Oxcross. The Marble Quarter Housing most of the city's middle-class, the Marble Quarter consists primarily of closely-packed residential townhouses on winding cobbled streets. The quarter hosts a variety of specialty merchants, servicing specific and eclectic tastes compared the common trades represented in the Stone Quarter. Brothels and bathhouses litter the quarter, catered to classier patrons compared to their counterparts in the decrepit Old Quarter. The Marble Quarter is also contains the Arcane district, home to a splinter of the Cerulean Order of Mages and the Spires of Aalinor. Locations Visited * Ephney's Cabinet of Curiosities: An eclectic collection of rare trinkets and magic items run by the retired gnome adventurer Estell Ephney. Dranaar visited the store in order to get a sword obtained in Cragmaw Castle identified, as well as peruse Estell's collection of magic shields. * The Wanton Harlot: A upper-class brothel occasionally used as a headquarters by The Gentleman. Eyranis rendezvoused with the Gentleman after assassinating commander Cahir var Dyffryn in Millfields, collecting his promised reward. The Old Quarter Aptly named for being the oldest part of the city, Oxcross' Old Quarter is renown across the Northern Kingdoms for being a hive of poverty, disease, and crime. The streets are caked with waste and refuse, with mud and filth piling so deep residents have made makeshift stepping-stones and duckboards to avoid it. Filthy water from the Foramere Basin seeps into the quarter, causing the decrepit, neglected building to slowly sink into the mud. Beggars, homeless and vagrants line the claustrophobic lanes, often accosting any who flaunt affluence. The guards of the district are widely known to be riddled with corruption, the Big Four, namely the King of Beggars, exerting the largest influence. The recent war with Dwendalia has caused a massive influx of refugees from the wartorn countryside, putting the district on the brink. The economy of the district is dominated by the Oxcross docks, most of which is built on piers and artificial islands extending into the Foramere basin. Locations Visited * Old Quarter Garrison * Torrhen's Square * Dwendalia Gate * Saltsea Tavern * Lion Trading Company * The Tankard Half-Empty * Oxcross Docks Government Rulers Law & Order Military Sociology Races Religion =